Taking Trains in Japan Offers You A Chance To Understand The Real Behaviours of Local PeopleTravel15 March,18 09:45

I like travelling abroad not only for sightseeing, but also for understanding different races, as well as their behaviours.

In the recent years, I've been to Japan frequently. The transportation is convenient, the local people are nice and helpful. I was seldom to get any bad experience. Are Japanese people really flawless? No, they are humans, humans possess flaws surely. They try to bury the flaws deeply. Indeed, you can insight into their real behaviours on train.

The train in Tokyo and Osaka is often crowded, in such not ideal situation, passengers should be uncomfortable, as well as panic and nervous; bad behaviours may be revealed unconsciously.

You may have an impression of the train passengers not talk on train. Actually, it's not really true. While I was travelling in Tokyo, I saw most passengers who texted messages or played games on train, the train carriage was silent. When I took the train during the peak hours in the evening, the scene in a carriage of train was totally different. Teenagers would have talked to companions with low voice volume, they sometimes laughed. The teenagers were still well-behaved. I just disliked those people in suits with briefcases. This kind of local people talked with colleagues causally, they laughed loudly, they didn't have any good train manners. This kind of people liked to frown their eye brows when they needed to give way for other passengers. They desired not to be disturbed, even blocked the way or did something to irritate others.

Talking on train is more common in Osaka. The people in Osaka seemed to have less restricted social norm than people in Tokyo.

One time when I was taking a train on Yamaguchi line in Tokyo, with my family. We needed to get off the train at the next station, so, I said "sumimasen" softly and continuously while going through a crowd of passengers towards the doors. Most passengers were friendly to give way to us, but not all. Some passengers showed me their annoyed faces. A man suddenly moved to stand in front of me to block my way. He was too rude! Even he also got off at the next station, his manner was still unacceptable.

When we were on our way from Chiba to Tokyo, we met a lovely young woman giving us her seat so that my family and I could sit together. Unfortunately, not every local person was as nice as that young woman.

It was another day my family and I travelling by train on Yamaguchi line. Fortunately, the train had seats available for us. After few stations, the train was full of passengers. An elderly woman was standing in front of me unstably, I immediately offered her my seat. She felt surprised and appreciated with my action. I was surprised too. In Hong Kong, elderly people would think it is not a big deal, they don't even say thank you. I like Japanese elderly people, they are kind and thanksgiving. On the other hand, not many local people would give seats to elderly actively.

After I offered my seat to the elderly, I was standing in the train. The train was approaching to the next station. So, I was turning myself around to prepare for getting off. A young woman gazed at me strangely. She was pretty, but why she looked at me in this way? I felt she was a bit angry. I recalled my memory. I touched something just before when I was turning myself. Did I touch her hip or other part? I wasn't sure. She might think I was a lecher. Anyway, I didn't mind to have such eye contact with her. After few seconds, she went to take a seat.

That young woman might be too sensitive, or, there were many lechers on train. Why are there no any female only train carriages available in Tokyo? In Osaka, female only train carriages are common. Are there more lechers in Osaka than Tokyo? I don't think so. The train operating companies in Osaka pay more attention on what passengers concern than those in Tokyo.

When I was travelling in Osaka, one thing really made me nervous. That was taking trains with luggage. As you know, the trains were crowded all the time. How could I have enough space for luggage?

My family and I took the train on Midosuji line from Nakatsu to Tennoji Station, then transferring to JR towards Kansai International Airport, with one big and one small suitcases. A train arrived, it was full of passengers as usual. A baby in a stroller was just next to the train doors. The baby's mother noticed my suitcases, she moved the stroller to inside of the train immediately. Another passenger gave the baby's mother a seat. It seemed passengers to solve a problem together. I loved to see it. Osaka people gave me a better impression.